My daughter and I, going to the stables last night, saw the largest meteor either of us has ever seen. Big, close, brilliant, long lasting, streaking from north to south, big break up at the end. WOW.OOOOOO.

I may have driven past this plant back around Memorial Day, speeding past Pocatello enroute to Twin Falls, Jack Pot, and points south. It was an impressive layout, but there were no signs or logos. Strange, I thought. But I was in a hurry, making up lost time from a stop by a highway cop for speeding. My honey was waiting for me back in California.

Ron Paul supporters must be voting 10, 15 times each on the Drudge Report Caucus board. I wouldn't put it past them…..

It's been tracked elsewhere (CNN was the last one I'd seen) when polls like this are taken. A large chunk of Paul's supporters are young, computer savvy, and wired. The can pump out a lot virtual votes for Paul.

You'd fit right in with them bobbo if you could learn how to get a blue screen name out of Blogger.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A State Department official says a German man was identified as a suspect in the Los Angeles arson spree because his mother was the subject of a provisional arrest request by Germany.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigations are ongoing, the official told The Associated Press Tuesday that authorities learned about Harry Burkhart while working on the mother's case and recognized him in security video of the arson suspect....The official didn't know the status of Burkhart's mother, Dorothee, or what type of visas the pair had entered the country on. ...... said Harry Burkhart was present when his mother was arrested Dec. 28 by deputy U.S. marshals and Los Angeles police on the provisional arrest warrant.

The U.S. will not be deterred by an Iranian military leader's warning to keep an American carrier out of the Persian Gulf, a senior military official said Tuesday as the White House declared Iran's latest threat a sign of domestic troubles for Tehran's theocratic leadership.

The Navy will "certainly not disrupt any of its planned movements based on this latest threat," the U.S. official told Fox News, adding that Iran's threat to close the Strait of Hormuz or act outside recognized international law is "further evidence that Iran continues to operate outside the norms of most nations."

"The deployment of U.S. military assets in the Persian Gulf region will continue as it has for decades," added Commander Bill Speaks in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

... in response to Iranian talk of closing the Strait of Hormuz, Pentagon spokesperson George Little did not answer directly but said, "No one in this government seeks confrontation over the Strait of Hormuz. It's important to lower the temperature."

Also referring to Iranian threats on Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. saw "these threats from Tehran as just increasing evidence that the international pressure is beginning to bite."

"They are feeling increasingly isolated and they are trying to divert the attention of their own public from the difficulties inside Iran, including the economic difficulties as a result of sanctions," Nuland told a news briefing.

Of course the US wants to manipulate ever more sales of military weaponry. The casus belli of the Military Industrial Complex.

a major U.S. ally in the Persian Gulf has contracted to buy nearly $2 billion worth of state-of-the-art mobile missile defense systems.Lockheed Martin announced Dec. 30 the first international sale of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system to the United Arab Emirates.Company officials heralded the $1.9 billion sale as the first in a likely series of contracts with U.S. allies seeking protection from rogue nations.

The Scud, the latest variant of the famous V2 rocket. The V2, described by the allies as a terrorist weapon.

Not a military threat.

The attack marked the beginning of a terror campaign by Adolf Hitler against targets in Allied territory that would claim at least 5,000 lives.

But of no military significance.

The V-2 campaign was a last desperate attempt by the Nazi leadership to turn the course of the war.

In all, over 1,300 V-2s were fired at England, killing 2,724 people. Germany struck Antwerp in Belgium with 1,265 V-2s and Paris with hundreds more. An accurate count of casualties on the continent is not available.

It was not to be the war-winning weapon the Nazis hoped for. In March 1945, the western front collapsed and Allied forces swarmed across the Rhine.

Dresden was not the only city destroyed by the Allies. The bombing of the larger city of Hamburg in 1943 created one of the greatest firestorms raised by the RAF and USAAF, killing roughly 50,000 civilians in Hamburg and practically destroying the entire city. The Allies also bombed the smaller city of Pforzheim in 1945, killing roughly 18,000 civilians, suggesting that the bombing raids over Dresden were actually not the most severe of World War II. However, they continue to be recognized as one of the many examples of civilian suffering caused by Allied strategic bombing, and have become exposed among the moral causes célèbres of the Second World War...It is notable that the V-2 was presented by Nazi propaganda as a retaliation for the bombers that attacked ever more German cities from 1942 until Germany surrendered.

"The whole thing makes my head hurt. I don't care what they do to each other, as long as I don't have to pay for it (and my kids don't have to die for it.)"

i emphathize with rufus.

his point is extremely understandable and undeniabley right. there can be no argument against it.But the chances of our children dying in a conflict are much much smaller now then it would be if we decide to allow iran to proliferate. what's inescapable is that you cant sincerely believe the world for our kids will be safer with a proliferating nuclear armed iran? can you? if you are genuine in your belief about protecting your family than the shit needs to be shut down for as long as it takes and go easy on the ground.

... it’s been months since anyone in Waziristan has seen or heard directly from bin Laden’s successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri. The Egyptian-born physician did post a video message on Dec. 1 boasting that al Qaeda had seized aid worker Warren Weinstein, a 70-year-old American, in Lahore—as if holding one old man hostage was an achievement. “I think the martyrdom of our great Sheik was the end,” Hanif says. “As long as the Sheik was alive, our leaders were strong and were determined to fight. But his death and the drones have sucked the blood out of our leadership. Now leaders seem to spend all their time moving from one place to another for their safety.” Lying low didn’t save Sheik Ayatullah; the drones got him soon after Hanif’s return to Waziristan.

And those goals can all obtained, anon, without interventionist military action by the US.

Simple as that.

Neither of our current anoni can provide reasonable cause to take military action, soon.

Not one report that contradicts

... Tamir Pardo, the chief of Israel’s intelligence service known as the Mossad, said last week that a nuclear weapon in the hands of the Iranian government would not necessarily pose an “existential threat” to the Jewish state.

“What is the significance of the term ‘existential’?” Pardo was quoted as saying in an article by the Washington Times.

Citing Israeli diplomats who met with the spy chief last week in a closed-door session, the paper reported that, according to Pardo, the danger posed by a hypothetical nuclear weapon in Iranian hands was being overblown.

And, it's almost impossible to imagine a scenario in which they would want to. As someone pointed out on the previous thread, Iran hasn't invaded another country since before the colonies became the States.

Even that tanker war, if you'll look back at it, was instigated by Iraq.

"Iran hasn't invaded another country since before the colonies became the States."

no one is claiming that they are going to invade anyone so your argument is a strawman.

"With our missile defense capabilities there is not one chance in a million that Iran could ever be a threat to the U.S."

do you have data to back this up? once the proliferation starts things may unravel andi think you are assuming an ICBM attack, allowing for tracking time. very conventional andsimply not the hallmark of the jihadist.

Nov 26, 2011 – Pakistani authorities on Saturday gave the United States 15 days to leave the Shamsi airbase, and closed NATO supply lines into Afghanistan ...

...Jul 9, 2008 Pakistan blamed for Kabul bombing

Paul Woodward

....

Steve Coll:

Q. How do we understand the relationship between the ISI [Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence] and the Taliban?

A. The Taliban arose in the fall of 1994 and sort of presented themselves as a fact on the ground in southern Afghanistan and rather quickly made contact with the Pakistan army and with the chief of its intelligence service.

There was a meeting at ISI headquarters with some of the early leaders of the Taliban -- not Mullah Omar, but some of his aides -- and the ISI chief in the late autumn of 1994. It was a get-to-know-you, introductory meeting. From that beginning, the ISI became more and more involved with the Taliban as the Taliban increased its ambitions in southern Afghanistan.

Throughout 1995, the collaboration between ISI and the Taliban increased, and it changed character. It became more and more of a direct military alliance. ...

A. They received guns; they received money; they received fuel; they received infrastructure support. They also, we know, had direct on-the-ground support from undercover Pakistani officers in civilian clothes who would participate in particular military battles.

Q. Is it a fair characterization to say that the Taliban were an asset of the ISI?

A. They were an asset of the ISI. I think it's impossible to understand the Taliban's military triumph in Afghanistan, culminating in their takeover of Kabul in 1996, without understanding that they were a proxy force, a client of the Pakistan army, and benefited from all of the materiel support that the Pakistan army could provide them, given its own constrained resources.

Q. So where does the ISI stand vis-à-vis the Taliban just prior to 9/11?

A. The Taliban remained an important client of the ISI right up until 9/11. They were an ally of the Pakistan government, and the ISI maintained contact with them to support their governance, but also their military campaign in the Afghan civil war that persisted despite the Taliban's takeover of Kabul.

A. The Taliban were important to the ISI in the late 1990s for another reason. The ISI also promoted a rebellion against what it regarded as Indian occupation in Kashmir. The Taliban in Afghanistan provided logistical support, training and other bases that the ISI could use to train and develop its Kashmir rebellion as well.

Q. And Al Qaeda had a hand in that as well?

A. Some of the camps that were used by the ISI to train Kashmiri militants were managed on the ground by Al Qaeda.

Q. After 9/11 and the bombs start to fall on Afghanistan, there are a large number of Pakistanis, aren't there, that go across the border to fight?

A. The Taliban drew, with ISI's support, on a large number of volunteers who came often out of madrassas that were located near the Afghan frontier, sometimes out of Karachi, [Pakistan].

The ISI had quite systematically built up an identification of fervent interest between these young Pakistanis and the Taliban cause. And of course after 9/11, many of these young Pakistanis saw not that there was a reason to change sides, but that there was more reason than ever to defend the Taliban against the United States.

The Mossad man said it would be three to five years, before the Iranians could build one, in February of 2011.

Which is the same timeline Bibi said Iran was capable of, in 1992.

We'll judging how poorly intelligence actually is it is amazing that you, a Jew hating, Israel bashing, zionist trashing person would take "Bibi" or some other's PUBLIC word for it...

Really Rat, you don't KNOW shit.

Not that ANYONE here actually KNOWS if Iran has one or not.

But for me? I dont want to WAIT til the nuke "easy button" has been constructed to deal with a jihadist psyco case.

Just because you live in a cave with a horse (as your love interest) doesnt mean the rest of us need to take a chance on a nation that has never stopped murdering Americans, westerners and it's own citizens.

"So, now we're down to: Iran might give a nuke to a terrorist who flies into Boston, Logan?

really?"

who really knows. were you imagining the kind of previous terror attacks prior to them happening?they seem to focus thier ingenuity on this. i get the impression that since viet namyou feel the us is bad and will attack anyone for any reason and this is why iran wantsto nuke up, as a defensive measure. do you think they need these weapons for defensive reasons? pakistan shares a border with a nuked armed country they have been to war with.does iran have this same issue?

If the Iraelis want to bomb Iran, let them. Just keep the US out. Israel without a doubt would be biting much more than they can chew.I am not a military strategist, and putting to one side, for the moment, the fact that Israel has nearly 400 nuclear warheads (as well as support from the USA and most of Europe), I would not like to bet on Israel's chances in a straight on, one-to-one conflict with Iran. if Iran had a one on one war with Israel, Israel would be defeated in an instant; this assuming that Israel's nuclear weapons are neutralised with a MAD policy.

As a national character, Israelis are cowardly bullies. 5000 Hisbullah showed how 40,000 zionist invaders to fight in 2006. Israel's response was to use US made aircraft to bomb schools, apartment building, hospitals, roads, etc.

Israel are not the 4th strongest military in the world (as they would have everyone believe). They are the tenth (not of course accounting for nuclear weapons - but then again, Israel really would have to be far more insane than it already is to use them against Iran and then expect the world to break into applause) and Iran is not the tin pot, Banana Republic state, the world would have you believe. They are rated 12th in military strength so they are not so far behind Israel.

We may have just witnessed a Blazing Saddles Moment on the part of the Iranian mullahs' regime in Teheran.

You remember: actor Cleavon Little, standing before the angry citizenry of a Western town - holding them all hostage by the simple expedient of holding a pistol to his own head. Shouts Little: "Don't shoot! He's desperate!"

I wonder if that movie's available in Teheran. Earlier today, msnbc.com's World News was quoting Iranian Army commander Ataollah Salehi (no relation, we hope, to that couple who crashed a White House state dinner a while back ) as daring the United States to send a supercarrier into the Straits of Hormuz again. Really.

Apparently channeling the spirit of "Baghdad Bob," another famous Middle Eastern military spokesman, General Salehi beat on his chest and issued a powerful statement.

"Iran," he told the IRNA, "will not repeat its warning...[T]he enemy's carrier has been moved to the Sea of Oman because of our drill. I recommend and emphasize to the American carrier not to return to the Persian Gulf."

Truth is, Terrell didn't tell the half of it. There isn't just one U.S. supercarrier potentially bearing down on the Iranians. There are three.

Three.

Currently on station in the Arabian Sea is the USS John C. Stennis and her Carrier Strike Group. That's the "enemy carrier" to which General Salehi was, um, giving the bird. But now in the Western Pacific, wending their way towards the Indian Ocean and, if necessary, thence to within striking distance of Teheran, are two more CSG's.

The USS Carl Vinson sailed from San Diego on November 30. She and her CSG left Hong Kong on December 30. The USS Abraham Lincoln and her CSG left San Diego on December 10, on a round-the-world cruise. The Hero of the 2004 Asian Tsunami is ultimately bound for her new homeport in Norfolk.

(Aside: it will be interesting -especially to the Government of the Peoples Republic of China -- to see whether either CSG makes port calls in Indonesia, India, Australia or East Africa.).

If sanity prevails, the Iranians will STFU. If not, well, the Can of Whup Ass is on its way.

As Charles Krauthammer was explaining on Bill O'Reilly's show last night, the only option left if an oil embargo fails to stop Iran's nuclear weapons program is military force. Besides the impending convergence of three U.S. Carrier Strike Groups, some of the U.S. ground troops and U.S. Air Force assets which were recently in Iraq are now available to target another objective. The Israel and British Air Forces are reportedly ready to go too.

Pity the Royal Navy doesn't have any aircraft carriers any more. Second time in the last year they could have used one, too.

So, to quote President Ronald Reagan, who (of course) was quoting that great American actor Clint Eastwood: "Go ahead. Make my day."

Then again, maybe I've got the wrong movie. Maybe, just maybe, the current Leader of the Free World is about to wag the dog.

Now the entire jihadist world counts ONE Israeli solder is equal to 1000 Jihadis please revamp your numbers and get back to me.

BTW I love the way Hezbollah defeated the IDF in the last war.

Reminds me of Monty Python and the night stating "it's just a fleshwound"

If and when Israel has the next war with jihadist murderers I have a feeling Israel will be fighting a much different type of fight and will not waste days and days sending leaflets warning of the upcoming battle.

Rufus II said...I think I've given out about as much personal information as I care to.

I will say this; I was not an O-6. :)

So, now we're down to: Iran might give a nuke to a terrorist who flies into Boston, Logan?

really?

I love how you change the discussion to the most absurd situation.

Iran could put a nuke in a shipping container, load it on a commercial airliner and explode it over a european or western nation (or anywhere they have landing rights), they could give it to a terror group and attack an ally, they could shoot it at an sunni oil producing enemy.

From that you say " Iran might give a nuke to a terrorist who flies into Boston, Logan?"

How juvenile.

Treat the subject with some element of intelligence.

Iran flew weekly flights to Venezuela moving cargo and men that by-passed all customs.

How the heck do you KNOW what was on those flights.

here is a list of cargo services from Iran Air sparky...

IranAir Cargo

Amsterdam Schiphol airportIranAir CARGO in EuropeWith Best connection to all European cities and around the world .Wide network of trucking .Overnight delivery to all major European cities .Possibility of Airport – to – Door delivery

Now smart ass, try answering the question.

Is it a threat if Iran delivers a NUKE in a shipping container to a city that houses a USA airbase? or one of an Ally?

They know that they, their families, their dogs, their whores, their boyfriends, and most of their country would be vaporized.

Even the crazies in Pakistan don't want any part of that action.

You might very well get what you want, anon; but I won't be changing my opinion. I feel it will be a catastrophic error.

It's not the masses that make that decision, It's the ruling mullahs

And the RULING Mullahs WANT the Hidden Imam to reappear.

Learn the faith, the culture and the beliefs before offering an opinion on what you do not understand or know.

As for your opinion about EVERY container being searched?

Here you go numbnuts:

Cargo securityU.S. no longer mandating 100 percent screening of cargo containersPublished 24 June, 2011 - 04:04Share |Email to a friendDHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the United States is no longer going to screen every cargo container before it enters the United States; she said, "We believe the so-called 100 percent requirement is probably not the best way to go"; in 2007 Congress mandated that all containers entering the United States must be scanned at their ports of exit by 2012; the 2007 bill empowers DHS to extend the 2012 deadline if the agency believed that the goal was not achievable and in the past Napolitano has expressed doubts about the feasibility of screening 100 percent of the cargo entering the United States

But the caucus site was hardly unified. Bachmann would need more than hometown connections to pull back into contention.

"I feel sorry for her," said Randy Herod, a retired business consultant. "She's real nice, but this isn't her time."

Bachmann spent days before the big vote deflecting questions about her staying power. Her campaign team insisted she would press on to South Carolina, where Republicans have a Jan. 21 primary, no matter the caucus outcome.

No, I don't live in Baltimore. But I have children, and grandchildren in Houston, another very large port. And, yes, I believe they have a better chance of getting mauled by a Siberian Tiger than of being killed by an Iranian bomb.

And, I'm quite sure that members of my extended family have a greater danger of dying in an idiotic war/occupation of Iran than they do of dying from an Iranian nuke.

Rufus II said...No, I don't live in Baltimore. But I have children, and grandchildren in Houston, another very large port. And, yes, I believe they have a better chance of getting mauled by a Siberian Tiger than of being killed by an Iranian bomb.

And, I'm quite sure that members of my extended family have a greater danger of dying in an idiotic war/occupation of Iran than they do of dying from an Iranian nuke.

Looked at another way, 2/3 of Iowans do not agree with the radical/insane agenda of Dr. Ron Paul. I'm guessing that includes his take on Israel. And that is just a bit less than the polls show. But you guys keep trying; you got plenty of sock puppets :-)

Mahdi is reported to have said:Shi'as believe that Imam al-Mahdi will reappear when the world has fallen into chaos and civil war emerges between the human race for no reason. At this time, it is believed, half of the true believers will ride from Yemen carrying white flags to Makkah, while the other half will ride from Karbala, in Iraq, carrying black flags to Makkah. At this time, Imam al-Mahdi will come wielding Allah's Sword, the Blade of Evil's Bane, Zulfiqar (Arabic: ذو الفقار, ðū l-fiqār), the Double-Bladed Sword. He will also come and reveal the texts in his possession, such as al-Jafr and al-Jamia.

Washington’s concept of squeezing a country’s government by interfering with its energy policies has a dolorous history seven decades old.

When Japan invaded Vichy French-ruled southern Indo-China in July 1941 the U.S. demanded Japan withdraw. In addition, on 1 August the U.S., Japan’s biggest oil supplier at the time, imposed an oil embargo on the country.

Magnificent Ronald and the Founding Fathers of al Qaeda

“These gentlemen are the moral equivalents of America’s founding fathers.” — Ronald Reagan while introducing the Mujahideen leaders to media on the White house lawns (1985). During Reagan’s 8 years in power, the CIA secretly sent billions of dollars of military aid to the mujahedeen in Afghanistan in a US-supported jihad against the Soviet Union. We repeated the insanity with ISIS against Syria.